Co-Clustering by Directly Solving Bipartite Spectral Graph Partitioning.

Bipartite spectral graph partitioning (BSGP) method as a co-clustering method, has been widely used in document clustering, which simultaneously clusters documents and words by making full use of the duality between documents and words. It consists of two steps: 1) graph construction and 2) singular value decomposition on the bipartite graph to compute a continuous cluster assignment matrix, followed by post-processing to get the discrete solution. However, the generated graph is unstructured and fixed. It heavily relies on the quality of the graph construction. Moreover, the two-stage process may deviate from directly solving the primal problem. In order to tackle these defects, a novel bipartite graph partitioning method is proposed to learn a bipartite graph with exactly c connected components (c is the number of clusters), which can obtain clustering results directly. Furthermore, it is experimentally and theoretically proved that the solution of the proposed model is the discrete solution of the primal BSGP problem for a special situation. Experimental results on synthetic and real-world datasets exhibit the superiority of the proposed method.

Synergic treatment of domestic wastewater and food waste in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor demo plant: Process performance, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Ambient operation and large-scale demonstration have limited the implementation and evaluation of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for low-strength wastewater treatment. Here, we studied these issues at an AnMBR demo plant that treats domestic wastewater and food waste together at ambient temperatures (7-28 °C). At varied hydraulic retention times (HRTs, 8-42 h), the AnMBR achieved a COD removal efficiency and biogas production of 80.4% ± 3.9% and 66.5 ± 9.4 NL/m3-Influent, respectively. Moreover, a stable high membrane flux of 14.4 L/m2/h was reached. The electric energy consumption for the AnMBR operation was 0.269-0.433 kW·h/m3, and 49.4%-91.3% could be compensated by the electric energy produced from methane production. At an HRT of 10 h, the AnMBR system demonstrated an impressively low net electric energy consumption of merely 0.05 kW·h/m3, resulting in a net greenhouse gas emission of 0.015 CO2-eq/m3, cutting 85% compared to the conventional activated sludge process. Achievements in this study provide key parameters for the ambient operation of AnMBR and demonstrate that AnMBR is an energy-saving and low-carbon solution for low-strength wastewater treatment.

Protocol for fabricating long-lasting passivated perovskite solar cells.

Preparation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with long-lasting passivation effectiveness is challenging. Here, we present a protocol for fabricating efficient and stable passivated perovskite solar cells. We describe steps for preparing the electron transporting layer (ETL) via chemical bath deposition and perovskite film. We then detail procedures for passivating the surface defects with excess terpyridine ligands and stability characterization. This protocol features a passivator-terpyridine whose passivation effect is independent of concentration, which greatly improves the durability of the passivation. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wang et al.1.

Unraveling the Degradation Mechanisms of Perovskite Solar Cells under Mechanical Tensile Loads.

The short longevity of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the major hurdle toward their commercialization. In recent years, mechanical stability has emerged as a pivotal aspect in enhancing the overall durability of PSCs, prompting a myriad of strategies devoted to this issue. However, the mechanical degradation mechanisms of PSCs remain largely unexplored, with corresponding studies mainly limited to perovskite single crystals, neglecting the complexity and nuances present in PSC devices based on polycrystalline perovskite thin films. Herein, we reveal the underlying mechanisms of the mechanical degradation of formamidinium-based PSCs, which are the most prevalent high-performance PSC candidates. Under uniaxial tensile loads, we found that the degradation is mainly attributed to the sequential increase in the density of micropores and halide defects within the perovskite films. This phenomenon is consistent across various perovskite compositions and environmental conditions. Our findings elucidate mechanistic insights for more targeted mitigation strategies aimed at addressing the mechanical degradation of PSC devices.

Combined traditional Chinese medicine therapy for the treatment of infertility with polycystic ovary syndrome: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) infertility has attracted great attention from researchers due to its high incidence. Numerous studies have shown that Chinese medicine is effective in treating this disease, but there is a wide variety of Chinese medicine therapies available, and there is a lack of comparative evaluation of the efficacy of various Chinese medicine combination therapies in the clinic, which requires further in-depth exploration. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a combined traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy for the treatment of infertility with PCOS using network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS: In PubMed, web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Knowledge Network, Wanfang Data, VIP Database, China Biomedical Literature Database (SinoMed) databases, searchs were conducted for information about the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of combined TCM therapy for the treatment of infertility with PCOS. Quality evaluation was performed using the Cochrane 5.3 risk of bias assessment tool, and NMA using Stata 16.0. RESULTS: This study comprised 28 RCTs using 8 combined TCM therapies in total. The results of the NMA showed that moxibustion + herbal, fire acupuncture + herbal, acupuncture + herbal, electroacupuncture + herbal, and acupoint application + herbal improved the clinical pregnancy rate better than acupuncture, herbal, and western medicines monotherapy (P < .05). Additionally, ear point pressure + herbal enema + herbal, acupuncture and moxibustion + herbal, fire acupuncture + herbal, and acupuncture + herbal improved the ovulation rate better than acupuncture, herbal, and western medicines monotherapy (P < .05). Moxibustion + herbal, fire acupuncture + herbal, and acupuncture + herbal are the 3 most effective therapies for improving the clinical pregnancy rate. Fire acupuncture + herbal, acupuncture + herbal, and ear point pressure + herbal enema + herbal are the 3 most effective therapies for improving the ovulation rate. CONCLUSION: The combined TCM therapy demonstrated better efficacy for the treatment of infertility with PCOS compared to acupuncture, herbal, and western medicines monotherapy. However, the optimal treatment therapy varied depending on the outcome indicators. Further large sample, high-quality, and standardized RCTs are needed to verify these findings.

peri-Fused polyaromatic molecular contacts for perovskite solar cells.

Molecule-based selective contacts have become a crucial component to ensure high-efficiency inverted perovskite solar cells1-5. These molecules always consist of a conjugated core with heteroatom substitution to render the desirable carrier-transport capability6-9. So far, the design of successful conjugation cores has been limited to two N-substituted π-conjugated structures, carbazole and triphenylamine, with molecular optimization evolving around their derivatives2,5,10-12. However, further improvement of the device longevity has been hampered by the concomitant limitations of the molecular stability induced by such heteroatom-substituted structures13,14. A more robust molecular contact without sacrificing the electronic properties is in urgent demand, but remains a challenge. Here we report a peri-fused polyaromatic core structure without heteroatom substitution that yields superior carrier transport and selectivity over conventional heteroatom-substituted core structures. This core structure produced a relatively chemically inert and structurally rigid molecular contact, which considerably improved the performance of perovskite solar cells in terms of both efficiency and durability. The champion device showed an efficiency up to 26.1% with greatly improved longevity under different accelerated-ageing tests.

Study of metabolite differences of flue-cured tobacco from Canada (CT157) and Yunnan (Yunyan 87).

In order to comprehend the dissimilarities in tobacco quality between Canada and Yunnan, a comparison of the aroma components was conducted using GC-MS and HPLC analysis, coupled with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The study revealed the detection of a total of 81 aroma components and 22 non-volatile components in both varieties of tobacco leaves. Specifically, there were 102 components of Canada tobacco leaves and 103 components of Yunnan tobacco leaves. Subsequently, a screening was performed on these two types of tobacco leaves, identifying 51 differential components, which accounted for approximately 49.5 % of the overall components detected. Among these, Canada tobacco exhibited a higher concentration of 22 components, comprising roughly 36.4 % of the total, which were primarily composed of semi-volatile organic acids and sesquiterpenes. On the other hand, Yunnan tobacco was characterized by a comparatively higher content of 43 components, constituting approximately 63.6 %, including fatty acid esters, phenols, diterpenes, sugars, and amino acids. Comparatively, Canada tobacco demonstrated elevated levels of fatty acids and sesquiterpenes, while the content of fatty acid esters and diterpenes was relatively lower. These distinctions in aroma components potentially contribute to the varied sensory aroma profiles exhibited by the two types of tobacco.

Efficacy of post-surgery family-based participatory cluster pain care in children with developmental dislocation of hip.

BACKGROUND: Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) is a common congenital deformity of the skeletal system in children. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of post-surgery cluster nursing in children with DDH. METHODS: A total of 60 children with DDH who underwent hip joint orthopedic surgery in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled as the research participants in this prospective study, and divided into the control group and the observation group according to the numerical table method, with 30 patients in each group. The control group was given routine pain care, and the observation group was given cluster pain care. The hip joint function scores, pain scores, self-rating anxiety score (SAS) were compared between the two groups and between before intervention and after intervention in the two groups. RESULTS: The pain score of the children and the SAS of the primary caregivers after the intervention in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P< 0.05), and the hip joint function score and family satisfaction degree were higher than those in the control group (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Family-based cluster pain care can reduce pain in children with DDH after surgery, promote hip joint functional recovery, reduce the negative emotions of caregivers, and improve family satisfaction, and has clinical popularization value.

Association Between Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Noncommunicable Disease Risk in Chinese Adults: Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The increasing annual global deaths are attributable to noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Adhering to healthy lifestyle behaviors is associated with lower NCD risk, particularly among individuals with ample movement, enough sleep, and reduced sedentariness. Nevertheless, there are only few prospective assessments on the association of interactions between daily activities with NCD prevention, while the associations between adhering to Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (24HGs) for adults and NCD risks are still unknown. Compared to the general population, obese and overweight populations are at a higher risk of developing NCDs. Currently, it is unclear whether the health benefits of adhering to 24HGs differ between the general population and the obese population. OBJECTIVE: This study explores prospective associations between adherence to 24HGs and NCD risks by weight status among overweight and obese adults in China. METHODS: This decadal study consists of 9227 adults aged 35 years and older without any major NCDs at enrolment in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2004-2011) and followed up until 2015. The exposure of interest was the overall score of compliance with 24HGs measured by participants' self-report, wherein 1 point was assigned for compliance to each component, resulting in an aggregated score ranging from 0 to 3. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of major NCDs (high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and acute myocardial infarction). Log-binomial regression models were used to evaluate the associations. RESULTS: : Overall, 4315 males and 4912 females, with 25,175 person-years of follow-up, were included in our analyses. The average baseline age was 50.21 (SD 11.04) years. Among the overweight and obese groups, those adhering to 1 (risk ratio [RR] 0.37, 95% CI 0.19-0.74; P=.004), 2 (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.19-0.72; P=.003), and 3 (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.14-0.73; P=.006) recommendations of 24HGs had a significantly lower NCD risk than those not adhering to any of the activity guidelines. Among the normal or underweight groups, those adhering to 1 (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.27-0.96; P=.03) and 3 (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.94; P=.03) components had a significantly lower NCD risk than those not adhering to any of the activity guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective study, we found that active adherence to recommendations of 24HGs was associated with lower risks of NCDs, especially among overweight and obese participants. Additionally, overweight and obese individuals who met at least 1 component of 24HGs were at a significantly lower risk for NCDs, but this protective effect was not found among individuals in the normal and underweight groups. Individuals with excess body weight who tend to be more susceptible to health risks may gain greater health benefits than the general population by adhering to the recommendations of 24HGs.

Modulating hot carrier cooling and extraction with A-site organic cations in perovskites.

Hot carrier solar cells could offer a solution to achieve high efficiency solar cells. Due to the hot-phonon bottleneck in perovskites, the hot carrier lifetime could reach hundreds of ps. Such that exploring perovskites could be a good way to promote hot carrier technology. With the incorporation of large organic cations, the hot carrier lifetime can be improved. By using ultrafast transient spectroscopy, the hot carrier relaxation and extraction kinetics are measured. From the transient kinetics, 2-phenyl-acetamidine cation based perovskites exhibit the highest initial carrier temperature, longest carrier relaxation, and slowest hot carrier relaxation. Such superior behavior could be attributed to reduced electron-phonon coupling induced by lattice strain, which is a result of the large organic cation and also a possible surface electronic state change. Our discovery exhibits the potential to use large organic cations for the use of hot carrier perovskite solar cells.

Strain regulates the photovoltaic performance of thick-film perovskites.

Perovskite photovoltaics, typically based on a solution-processed perovskite layer with a film thickness of a few hundred nanometres, have emerged as a leading thin-film photovoltaic technology. Nevertheless, many critical issues pose challenges to its commercialization progress, including industrial compatibility, stability, scalability and reliability. A thicker perovskite film on a scale of micrometres could mitigate these issues. However, the efficiencies of thick-film perovskite cells lag behind those with nanometre film thickness. With the mechanism remaining elusive, the community has long been under the impression that the limiting factor lies in the short carrier lifetime as a result of defects. Here, by constructing a perovskite system with extraordinarily long carrier lifetime, we rule out the restrictions of carrier lifetime on the device performance. Through this, we unveil the critical role of the ignored lattice strain in thick films. Our results provide insights into the factors limiting the performance of thick-film perovskite devices.

Development of the assessment standards of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Geriatric Core Set through a modified Delphi method.

BACKGROUND: There is currently a lack of functional assessment tools based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) theoretical framework that are specific for older adults. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to develop Chinese assessment standards of the ICF Geriatric Core Set for functional evaluation of older adults. METHODS: A two-stage study process was conducted to develop the assessment standards of the ICF Geriatric Core Set: establishment of candidate assessment standards, and a modified Delphi consensus process including a pilot survey and two-round formal expert survey. Thirty participants in the field of ICF and geriatric rehabilitation were recruited. The suitability of the assessment standards in the questionnaires was rated using a Likert 5-level scoring method. The arithmetic mean, the full mark ratio and the coefficient of variation (CV) were used as screening indicators for the assessment standards, and modification was made for several standards, in line with the Delphi results and the expert panel discussion. RESULTS: Thirty-three candidate assessment standards belonging to 17 categories were generated. A total of 26 and 24 experts in the field of ICF and geriatric rehabilitation participated in the two-round survey, respectively. Five standards belonging to four categories entered into the second-round survey directly, five standards belonged to five categories entered with minor modification, and nine standards belonging to seven categories were redesigned based on the literature and discussion of the expert panel. In the second-round survey,15 assessment standards belonging to 15 categories met the screening requirements and four assessment standards belonged to the two remaining categories that needed a criterion and which the expert panel discussed for the final decision. CONCLUSIONS: Using the modified Delphi method, the assessment standards of the ICF Geriatric Core Set have been developed.Future work should focus on the reliability and validity of the the assessment standards and their application to the health management of older adults.

Discovery, Identification, and Mode of Action of Phenolics from Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus ustus as Antibacterial Wilt Agents.

The bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum seriously affects crop yield and safety and is difficult to control. Biological activity-guided screening led to the isolation of 11 phenolic compounds including three undescribed compounds (carnemycin H-I and stromemycin B) from the secondary metabolites of a marine-derived Aspergillus ustus. One new compound is an unusual phenolic dimer. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data and J-based configurational analysis. The antibacterial activities of the isolated compounds against R. solanacearum were evaluated. Compound 3 exhibited excellent inhibitory activity with an MIC value of 3 µg/mL, which was comparable to that of streptomycin sulfate. Additionally, 3 significantly changed the morphology and inhibited the activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) to interfere with the growth of R. solanacearum. Molecular docking was conducted to clarify the potential mechanisms of compound 3 with SDH. Further in vivo experiments demonstrated that 3 could remarkably inhibit the occurrence of bacterial wilt on tomatoes.

Fast Clustering With Anchor Guidance.

Clustering aims to partition a set of objects into different groups through the internal nature of these objects. Most existing methods face intractable hyper-parameter problems triggered by various regularization terms, which degenerates the applicability of models. Moreover, traditional graph clustering methods always encounter the expensive time overhead. To this end, we propose a Fast Clustering model with Anchor Guidance (FCAG). The proposed model not only avoids trivial solutions without extra regularization terms, but is also suitable to deal with large-scale problems by utilizing the prior knowledge of the bipartite graph. Moreover, the proposed FCAG can cope with out-of-sample extension problems. Three optimization methods Projected Gradient Descent (PGD) method, Iteratively Re-Weighted (IRW) algorithm and Coordinate Descent (CD) algorithm are proposed to solve FCAG. Extensive experiments verify the superiority of the optimization method CD. Besides, compared with other bipartite graph models, FCAG has the better performance with the less time cost. In addition, we prove through theory and experiment that when the learning rate of PGD tends to infinite, PGD is equivalent to IRW.

Antiproliferative polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from Garcinia paucinervis.

Bioassay-guided isolation of the stems of Garcinia paucinervis led to one new adamantane-type polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs), (-)-garpauvinin A (1), and four known analogues (2-5). The structure and absolute configuration of 1 was established via spectroscopic techniques and ECD method. All the isolates displayed moderate antiproliferative activity against HL-60, PC-3 and Caco-2 human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.81 to 19.92 µM, and exhibited low toxicity on WPMY-1 normal human cells, showing selectivity between normal and malignant prostate cells. The biosynthetic pathways of the isolated PPAPs were proposed.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of 14-3-3 gene family related to negative regulation of starch accumulation in storage root of Manihot esculenta.

The 14-3-3 protein family is a highly conservative member of the acid protein family and plays an important role in regulating a series of important biological activities and various signal transduction pathways. The role of 14-3-3 proteins in regulating starch accumulation still remains largely unknown. To investigate the properties of 14-3-3 proteins, the structures and functions involved in starch accumulation in storage roots were analyzed, and consequently, 16 Me14-3-3 genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Me14-3-3 family proteins are split into two groups (ε and non-ε). All Me14-3-3 proteins contain nine antiparallel α-helices. Me14-3-3s-GFP fusion protein was targeted exclusively to the nuclei and cytoplasm. In the early stage of starch accumulation in the storage root, Me14-3-3 genes were highly expressed in high-starch cultivars, while in the late stage of starch accumulation, Me14-3-3 genes were highly expressed in low-starch cultivars. Me14-3-3 I, II, V, and XVI had relatively high expression levels in the storage roots. The transgenic evidence from Me14-3-3II overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana and the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cassava leaves and storage roots suggest that Me14-3-3II is involved in the negative regulation of starch accumulation. This study provides a new insight to understand the molecular mechanisms of starch accumulation linked with Me14-3-3 genes during cassava storage root development.

XPO1 is a new target of homoharringtonine (HHT): Making NPMc+ AML cells much more sensitive to HHT treatment.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease and about one third of AML patients carry nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutation. Because 95% mutations give NPM1 an additional nuclear export signaling (NES) and dislocate NPM1 in cytoplasm (NPMc+), relocating NPM1 in nucleus provide an innovative strategy for treating this type of AML. The nuclear export of NPM1 depends on the nuclear protein export receptor XPO1, which recognizes the NES sequence on NPM1. Homoharringtonine (HHT) is a first-line chemotherapy drug of AML, yet the exact mechanism of its anti-AML activity is elusive. In this study, we found that HHT can directly target XPO1 to its NES-binding cleft, bind to Cys528 of XPO1, and inhibits its nuclear transport function. In addition, HHT can block NPMc+ proteins nuclear export and thus make NPMc+ AML cells much more sensitive to HHT treatment. Furthermore, the sensitivity of NPMc+ AML cells to HHT is a universal phenomenon irrespective of the different genetic lesions of AML. Taken together, our findings suggest that XPO1 is a new target of HHT and provide a novel strategy for NPMc+ AML treatment.

Integrative analysis of metabolome and transcriptome reveals the mechanism of color formation in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves are often used as vegetables in Africa. Anthocyanins possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and other biological activities. They are poor in green leaves but rich in the purple leaves of cassava. The mechanism of anthocyanin's accumulation in cassava is poorly understood. In this study, two cassava varieties, SC9 with green leaves and Ziyehuangxin with purple leaves (PL), were selected to perform an integrative analysis using metabolomics and transcriptomics. The metabolomic analysis indicated that the most significantly differential metabolites (SDMs) belong to anthocyanins and are highly accumulated in PL. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are enriched in secondary metabolites biosynthesis. The analysis of the combination of metabolomics and transcriptomics showed that metabolite changes are associated with the gene expressions in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. In addition, some transcription factors (TFs) may be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. To further investigate the correlation between anthocyanin accumulation and color formation in cassava leaves, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system was used. VIGS-MeANR silenced plant showed the altered phenotypes of cassava leaves, partially from green to purple color, resulting in a significant increase of the total anthocyanin content and reduction in the expression of MeANR. These results provide a theoretical basis for breeding cassava varieties with anthocyanin-rich leaves.

Sludge granulation in PN/A enhances nitrogen removal from mainstream anaerobically pretreated wastewater.

Treating anaerobically pretreated wastewater using partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process faces severe challenges because of the complex syntrophic and competitive relationship among various bacteria. Results of this study suggested a continuous low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration failed to sustain NH4+ removal (<80 %), whereas moderate DO concentrations with high aerobic periods suppressed anammox reaction. Through implementing a moderate DO concentration with low aerobic periods (MDO-LA), NH4+ and total nitrogen removal efficiency reached 91.5 ± 5.5 % and 71.3 ± 2.8 % respectively. The specific activities of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) reached 0.942 ± 0.030 and 0.277 ± 0.010 g nitrogen per gram mixed liquor volatile suspended solids, respectively, mainly because MDO-LA favored Thiothrix (filamentous bacteria) wash-out and promoted Nitrosomonas growth. Moreover, sludge granules covered by a thin exterior rim with abundant AOB were formed, favoring Ca. Brocadia growth (5.4 % to 13.2 %) and mass transfer between AOB and AnAOB, which consequently increased the expression of genes coding hydroxylamine oxidase and hydrazine synthase. Overall, achievements in this study provide a promising operating strategy for PN/A treating anaerobically pretreated wastewater.

Oriented nucleation in formamidinium perovskite for photovoltaics.

The black phase of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite shows huge promise as an efficient photovoltaic, but it is not favoured energetically at room temperature, meaning that the undesirable yellow phases are always present alongside it during crystallization1-4. This problem has made it difficult to formulate the fast crystallization process of perovskite and develop guidelines governing the formation of black-phase FAPbI3 (refs. 5,6). Here we use in situ monitoring of the perovskite crystallization process to report an oriented nucleation mechanism that can help to avoid the presence of undesirable phases and improve the performance of photovoltaic devices in different film-processing scenarios. The resulting device has a demonstrated power-conversion efficiency of 25.4% (certified 25.0%) and the module, which has an area of 27.83 cm2, has achieved an impressive certified aperture efficiency of 21.4%.